CATALOGUE OF INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS OF THE FAITHFUL

VATICAN CITY, NOV 23, 2004 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for the Laity will celebrate its 21st Plenary Assembly in Rome from November 24 to 28 on the theme, "Discover once again the true face of the Parish."  Members of the committee of the presidency will participate as well as members and consultors of the dicastery.

  After brief opening remarks by council president, Archbishop Stanislaw Rylko, the under-secretary, Professor Guzman Carriquiry will speak about "The present day situation of the laity: crucial questions."

  Among the scheduled topics are: "The parish in a changing world: the great social, cultural and religious challenges"; "The institutional parish: a pastoral, juridical and historic perspective"; "Building up the community parish together: councils, ministers, services and other forms of collaboration and involvement for lay people."  On the third day, Bishop Josef Clemens, secretary of the pontifical council, will speak about the dicastery's future plans and in the afternoon, contributions will be presented for the 11th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist.

  A communique that accompanied the announcement of the plenary celebration, indicates that a "Catalogue of International Associations of the Faithful" was recently published in response to John Paul II's invitation to the council in the Apostolic Exhortation "Christifideles laici" to prepare an index of associations that are officially approved by the Holy See.

  The volume, which was published in Italian and which will be translated into English, Spanish and French, is more than 300 pages long and includes 123 associations of the faithful, ranging from the more traditional groups to the newest ecclesial movements and communities. Associations that depend juridically on the Congregations for the Clergy, the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life and the Evangelization of Peoples, as well as groups that work exclusively on the national or diocesan level, are not included in the list.

  Each association is listed according to its official name in the original language, and contains the following data: the year of its foundation, history, identity, structure, presence in the world, activity, publications, web sites and the contact information of the headquarters.
CON-L/PLENARY:LIST/RYLKO                        VIS 20041123 (360)